Takayama and Kamikochi

I am planning to visit Japan for 14 days in mid-late October next year.I thought of this route-Tokyo(3 days)-Nikko-(1 or 2 days)-Hakone-(1 day)-Takayama(2 days)-Kamikochi(1 day)-Kyoto-(3 days)-Tokyo(1 or 2 days)...

1. Is this route sounds like something that makes sense?

2.Is Takayama and Kamikochi worth it(it seems slightly far from the other sites) or it's better to skip it as Nikko also has nature and hiking opportunities, and to visit Osaka/Nara instead...

*I want to see more nature and small towns and less temples and shrines

Thanks,
Dasha.

「I want to see more nature and small towns and less temples and shrines」

In that case you'd enjoy Kamikochi. The views are beautiful.

Takayama you might enjoy. While it's much smaller than other tourist destinations like Tokyo or Kyoto, it's very much a city, not a village. It has a very cool old-fashioned downtown, but it's a popular travel destination for tourists both Japanese and foreign tourists, so it may or may not feel like a "small, quiet town" to you.

As controversial as this opinion may be, if your interest is "more nature and small towns and less temples and shrines" I'm not sure how much you'd actually enjoy Kyoto. While central Kyoto has some nice gardens attached to its many shrines and temples, there's not much in the way of natural scenery within the city, and the large number of both residents and visiting travelers means it definitely doesn't feel like a small town.

i*I want to see more nature and small towns and less temples and shrines
if I were you, I would not skip Takayana nor Kamikochi. Try to plan mid Oct for Kamikochi, stay overnight
and hopefully good timing for the Autumn colour.

If you prefer small towns and you don't like temples or shrines, Takayama and Kamikochi make a lot more sense than Osaka and Nara.

It might make sense to try to do Hakone to Kamikochi by way of Matsumoto. In fact, if you can spare a day, you might like Matsumoto as well which is a small town with a lovely setting and castle. From Matsumoto you can take a bus to Kamikochi and from Kamikochi take a bus to Takayama. If you have the time you can stop off at Hirayu onsen as well. The bus trip between Matsumoto and Takayama I think is pretty scenic.

Good luck!

I agree with everyone about Kamikochi and how you shouldn't skip it. We went there right before they closed the tunnel (before November 15th) and the views were still amazing! I can't even imagine what it's like to see it with my own eyes when it's still the peak of the season! We stayed for a few days in Matsumoto and did day trips to Kamikochi and Norikura from there. Matsumoto seems a little bit easier (faster) to access than Takayama. Maybe after Hakone/Tokyo, first stay in Matsumoto, visit Kamikochi and then take the highway bus to Takayama?

Going through Kamikochi and Takayama is worth it anyway as they are in the alps so you are seeing a very nice part of Japan. At Kamikochi I recommend Kamikochi Onsen Hotel. Great rooms (river view), great food, great rotenburo.

Takayama has some nice temples but the park area in particular is great for a hike. Also if you like squirrels, the squirrel forest outside of town is worth a look.

I agree with one of the PP's that Kyoto is a bit concretey. If you feel suffocated and depressed in cities (like I do) then try the Westin Miyako Hotel, in particular the Japanese rooms which are essentially in a garden. The hotel is on a hill with walking tracks through the foresty part. Just be careful of room choices there, the city view ones are nice and the Japanese ones are nice but there are some that are a bit dorm-y.

Personally I would stay at Nara over Kyoto if you are into nature. It is much greener around the park. A few days at Nara and you feel great.